Indian Butter Chicken

Well, I'm well on my way. This is my first successful recipe that I can check off of my 30 by 30 list. Yay!  (I also attempted the naan to go with it, but that recipe will require a little experimentation before it makes the list.) One of my favorite parts of the recipe is how little butter there actually is in it - I was mentally prepared to be using much more, so being able to use a small amount made me happy. This Butter Chicken recipe closely rivals that of our old local Indian restaurant in the South End, and I'm pretty sure I could eat all of it by myself. :o) Enjoy!

Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

Serves 4

 Ingredients

1 tbsp. peanut oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

¼ cup white onion, chopped

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

½ c. plain yogurt

¾ c. half-and-half

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

¼ c. water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. peanut oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size chunks

1 tsp. garam masala

1 pinch cayenne pepper

3 tbsp. golden raisins

3 tbsp. slivered almonds

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté until the onion is translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in butter, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, cumin bay leaf, and cayenne and cook for one minute until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste and water, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the yogurt and half-and-half. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about ten minutes until slightly thickened.

In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a large skillet. Add the cubed chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. To the chicken, add 1 tsp. garam masala and 1 pinch cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the tomato sauce mixture and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until flavors are blended. Add the golden raisins and almonds. Remove the bay leaves and adjust seasoning. Serve over basmati or jasmine rice, alongside naan bread.